FukuFuku: Kitten Tales Volume 1

Missing cat manga now that Chi’s Sweet Home has concluded? Never fear, author Konami Kanata has a new series with an adorable kitten. FukuFuku: Kitten Tales has an advantage over the previous series, in my opinion: the cat here doesn’t have an internal monologue in a cutesy dialect.

In that way, it’s more true to cat ownership, as we simply observe the little kitty in her everyday life. She lives with an older lady, who works to give FukuFuku a good home. It’s charming watching the kitten explore her new surroundings, and each chapter is like popcorn. I couldn’t put it down until I’d read the whole thing!

FukuFuku makes messes and gets a bath, runs away and begs for petting, naps and chases and jumps and scratches. My favorite chapters are the ones that situate her in the season, whether she’s attempting to cope with summer heat or playing with a jack-o-lantern or seeing snow for the first time or (best) discovering the kotatsu, a table with a heater underneath.

The author clearly knows her felines, since the behaviors on display here are just like those my cat-owning friends describe or share. I’m at a disadvantage when it comes to books about cats. I can’t have one — highly allergic — so I haven’t seen much of one in real-life action. But with tales like FukuFuku, I can have all the enjoyment of watching a pet without the hair or messes.

FukuFuku: Kitten Tales is a great choice for kids, too, since the stories are basic but universal. The incidents rely on observation of the well-done cartooning (and the sound effects, thankfully translated), not any kind of serious plot, so it’s a great way to learn to read art. (The publisher provided a review copy.)